Types of Medical Malpractice Cases

Providing Legal Counsel to Baltimore, MD Clients in Medical Malpractice Cases 

The term “medical malpractice” is a broad legal term that can apply to any situation in which a medical professional fails to uphold the standard of care a patient requires. Although medicine is a complicated field by nature, medical professionals have an obligation to use their best judgment and adhere to accepted treatment measures at all times, for every patient. When a medical professional fails to uphold this duty of care, they become liable for medical malpractice and must compensate the victim for the resulting damages it can cause. 

Peter Angelos Law provides comprehensive legal counsel to clients throughout Maryland, including Baltimore, Dundalk, Towson, Annapolis, Bowie, and Frederick. We are dedicated to helping victims of medical malpractice recover from their injuries and economic losses. If you or a loved one need legal representation for a medical malpractice lawsuit, it is essential to choose a medical malpractice attorney with proven experience in cases like yours. Gavel and stethoscope sitting next to a pack of pills on a desk. Our medical malpractice lawyers in Baltimore Maryland have experience working with many types of medical malpractice and surgical error cases.

Types of Medical Malpractice Claims Our Firm Represents 


The team at Peter Angelos Law has years of experience guiding clients to appropriate compensation through the most difficult medical malpractice claims. Medical malpractice involves several types of medical negligence, and it is even possible for a medical malpractice claim to pertain to more than one type of medical error. We represent clients who have suffered ill effects from diverse types of medical negligence, including:

Misdiagnosis

Any medical professional with the ability to diagnose a patient’s condition must do so accurately using approved diagnostic tools and methods. If a physician or other medical professional misdiagnoses a patient’s condition, this could lead to the patient undergoing treatments they do not actually need while their true condition worsens. In some cases, patients may not receive effective treatment in a timely manner if their diagnosing physician proves incapable of accurately diagnosing their condition. If you or a loved one experienced inappropriate medical treatment or did not receive treatment at all because of a misdiagnosis, you likely qualify to file a medical malpractice claim via a misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose lawyer. 

Failure to Diagnose 

While misdiagnosis is common, some diagnostic errors involve physicians failing to diagnose their patients at all. Failure to diagnose can cause extensive complications or even the death of the patient. Physicians should use a differential diagnosis process to accurately determine their patient’s condition, involving a process of elimination of the patient’s possible diagnoses based on their symptoms. If the physician takes too long, the patient’s condition could worsen tremendously and result in critical or long-term damages. 

Surgical Errors

Surgeons operating on patients must do so while exercising the utmost care, using only approved surgical tools and methods. If a surgeon makes a mistake and does not immediately correct it, or if the mistake causes adverse effects, the patient may incur additional medical costs for correcting the mistake. It is also possible for surgical mistakes to cause infections and other potentially life-threatening complications. If you experience a surgical error, contact a skilled surgical error attorney for more information.

Birth Injuries

Childbirth procedures require skilled care and advanced procedures. If a physician or other medical professional fails to exercise appropriate care in childbirth, the infant or the mother may suffer severe injuries. Failure to monitor patient vital signs, failure to notice indications of fetal distress, misuse of forceps and extraction tools, or failure to identify cause to conduct an emergency C-section are all examples of birth injuries that can potentially lead to medical malpractice claims. Consult a birth injury attorney to pursue a medical malpractice claim if these circumstances caused your child injury. 

Prescription Errors 

Doctors prescribing medications to their patients must ensure they prescribe the correct medication in precisely the right dosage. They must also account for the patient’s known drug allergies and existing prescriptions so there are no adverse interactions with the new medication. If a doctor fails to prescribe an appropriate and safe medication for their patient and the patient experiences an injury, the doctor is liable for the prescription error. Similarly, a pharmacist could absorb liability for a prescription error if they injured a patient due to filling their prescription incorrectly. 

Emergency Room Errors

The emergency room is one of the most hectic medical workplaces. Emergency room staff and physicians must use their best judgment to treat the patients who visit their emergency rooms, and they must do so in a timely manner. A physician or hospital could become liable for an emergency room error if a patient does not receive timely treatment or if medical staff make mistakes in treatment due to the demand for emergency room service. 

Hospital Infections and Cross-Contamination 

Hospital staff are responsible for preventing the spread of infectious diseases. If a patient contracts an infectious disease or other ailment due to the poor conditions of the hospital, it is highly likely that the hospital will absorb liability for the incident. They may also face fines and other penalties due to failure to follow applicable health codes and medical regulations. 

Determining Liability for Medical Malpractice 

Medical malpractice claims involve different procedural requirements than most other personal injury claims. First and foremost, virtually every medical malpractice claim must pass through a review process with the medical board that has jurisdiction over the defendants named in the claim. The medical board must determine if reasonable cause exists to pursue the claim. 

A plaintiff in a medical malpractice case may also require expert witness testimony. This testimony often comes from an established medical professional who can speak with authority on the medical aspects of their claim. At Peter Angelos Law, our team has an extensive network of credentialed medical experts we can access when our patients need expert witness testimony to support their medical malpractice claims. 

Some medical malpractice lawsuits may implicate multiple defendants, and some may raise questions of vicarious liability if there is reason to suspect the hospital or treatment facility that employed the defendant named in a suit bears liability for the plaintiff’s damages. No matter the liability, any medical malpractice claim has the potential to escalate into a protracted and difficult legal battle. For this reason, it is vital to secure legal counsel you can trust to guide you through the process. 

Find a Baltimore, MD Medical Malpractice Lawyer Today 


If you or a loved one experienced any form of medical malpractice in the Baltimore area or anywhere else in Maryland state-wide, we can help. The attorneys at Peter Angelos Law have decades of experience representing clients in a wide range of medical malpractice claims. We have amassed a wealth of knowledge regarding how medical malpractice claims proceed as well as the specialized legal procedures necessary for pursuing such claims. For free legal answers to your most important questions from an experienced medical malpractice lawyer in Baltimore, MD, contact Peter Angelos Law today. Schedule a consultation with our team at your earliest convenience.